Review: Hexed – Exhaling Life

After a period without writing I am thrilled to review this very good EP from new and upcoming band Hexed, titled Exhaling Life. The EP consists of 3 songs, beginning with the heavy title track. From the get-go, we are greeted by a typical symphonic keyboard riff and some heavy-duty guitars. Not long after that vocalist Tina Gunnarsson enters with her mighty strong vocals. Her voice is lower than many other metal bands in the symphonic genre and thank god for that! It brings a fresh and unique sound to this band and this is the case for all 3 songs on the EP. The vocals really bring this band to another level. So much so that the band is different enough from everything else I listen to in this genre. The male vocals from guest singer Thomas Vikström on the title track match very well.

In the second song Forsaken Tina Gunnarsson really showcases her capabilities. In an almost banshee-like manner she screams ‘forsaken’ and the song begins. The vocals in the song strongly resemble those of Charlotte Wessels (Delain) until the moment Tina Gunnarssons’ voice reaches its highest point. At that moment she does something unique with her voice, something you’ll want to hear more and more.

That’s actually the only critical note on this EP, instrumentally it is all a bit on the safe side. However, this is partly rectified in the last song Lightyears Away, a song where everything from the previous tracks comes together and you can actually hear how great the potential of this band really is.